Chapter 83

  YUKI STUDIED JUNIE MOON as she was sworn in by the bailiff.

  Defendants¹ weren’t required to testify. It couldn’t be held against them if they didn’t, and it rarely helped when they did. So it was very risky² to put your client on the stand. No matter how well rehearsed, there was no way to know if your client was going to go rogue³, or get flustered⁴, or laugh at the wrong time, or in some unique way prejudice the jury against her.

  But Davis was putting Junie Moon on the stand. And the citizens of San Francisco and trial watchers across the country were dying to hear what she would say. Junie’s white blouse hung from her shoulders and her plain blue skirt billowed around her calves⁵. She’d lost weight in jail - a lot of it - and when Junie raised her right hand to take the oath, Yuki saw vivid bruising⁶ on her forearm.

  Spectators gasped⁷ and murmured. And now Yuki understood why Davis had risked everything she’d gained to have her client testify. Junie looked nothing like a whore and a ghoul.

  She looked like a victim.

  Junie swore to tell the truth, stepped up to the witness stand, and sat with her hands in her lap, smiling trustingly as Davis approached.

  “How are you doing?” Davis asked.

  “In jail, you mean?”

  “Yes. Are you doing okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m fine.”

  Davis nodded, said, “Good. And how old are you, Junie?”

  “I’ll be twenty-three next month.”

  “And when did you start turning tricks?” Davis asked.

  “When I was fourteen,” Junie said softly.

  “And how did that come about?”

  “My stepdad turned me out.”

  “Do you mean that your stepfather prostituted you? That he was your pimp?”

  “I guess you could call him that. He was having sex with me from the time I was about twelve. Later on, he brought his friends over and they had sex with me, too.”

  “Did you ever report your stepfather for rape⁸ or child abuse, anything like that?”

  “No, ma’am. He said it was how I paid my rent.”

  “Is your stepfather here today?”

  “No. He died three years ago.”

  “And your mother? Where is she?”

  “She’s doing time. For dealing⁹.”

  “I see,” Davis said. “So, Junie, you’re a bright enough girl. Did you really have to be a prostitute? Couldn’t you have gotten a job in a restaurant or a department store? Maybe worked in an office?”

  Junie cleared her throat, said quietly, “Doing sex is the only thing I’ve ever known, and I don’t really mind. It’s like, for a little time every day, I feel close to someone.”

  “Having sex with strangers makes you feel close?”

  Junie smiled. “I know it’s not real, but it makes me feel good for a while.”

  Davis paused to let the tragedy of the vulnerable young woman’s story wash over the jury. Then she said, “Junie, please tell the jury: Did you ever have sex with Michael Campion?”

  “No, I did not. Absolutely never!”

  “So why did you tell the police that you did?”

  “I guess I wanted to please them, so I told them what they wanted to hear. I . . . that’s the kind of person I am.”

  “Thank you, Junie. Your witness,” Davis said.

1 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

3 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

4 flustered   

adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了，都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句

5 calves   

n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解

参考例句：

• a cow suckling her calves 给小牛吃奶的母牛
• The calves are grazed intensively during their first season. 小牛在生长的第一季里集中喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 bruising   

adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式)

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• He slipped and fell, badly bruising an elbow. 他滑倒了，一只胳膊肘严重擦伤。 来自辞典例句

7 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。